{"id":6250,"date":"2020-02-27T16:31:26","date_gmt":"2020-02-27T22:31:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kabt.org\/?p=6250"},"modified":"2021-10-04T12:51:40","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T17:51:40","slug":"sickle-cell-anemia-investigation-day-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kabt.org\/?p=6250","title":{"rendered":"Sickle Cell Anemia Investigation: Day 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today began with a video by John Perry’s series “Stated Clearly<\/em>” titled “What is a gene?”<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, students wrote down the learning objective. A protein\u2019s shape determines its function, and the shape occurs due to the sequence of amino acids coded by DNA.<\/strong> I explained that a truck has a specific shape that helps it to do its function of hauling things and a ferrari has a different shape that helps it to do its function of going fast. Proteins too have specific shapes to help them do their own function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a difficult abstraction for students to take to look at a protein model and think that these microscopic things actually have a function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Though these models of look interesting to a student to assume that one has a function is very difficult. The one on the left BCR-ABL Fusion Protein stimulates cellular division and the right Aquaporin allows water to pass through membranes. This form function can be a stonewall for a 14 year old due to the level of abstraction involved. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In order to help students realize how these proteins function can work I use minitoobers. (*this is not my own original idea.) I tell students that they have to fold their protein using beta pleated sheets a.k.a. zigzags or alpha helicies a.k.a. loops into a shape that can pick up a molecule and transfer it from one partner to the next. I give them 3 minutes to fold their toober into a shape that can make the transfer and then let them show the rest of the class their solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Oven mitten design<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The trade off!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Eagle has landed…<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Students fold their proteins into many different shapes<\/em><\/strong> to perform the function<\/em><\/strong> of moving a protein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A hockey stick solution <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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GOAL!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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I can then show them It turns out these protein things can have many shapes! You can show the kids these proteins too from the Protein Data Bank.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now we turn our attention to how the sequence of DNA effects the shape of a protein. I am using kits that we purchased from 3dmolecular designs<\/a>. But, colored push pins will work too. ( I think Drew Ising did a post about this in the past). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I start this by having the students place a positive amino acid (blue) on one end of their mini-toobers and a negative amino acid on the other end.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Next, students evenly space just four hydrophobic amino acids (labeled yellow here) across the mini toober. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Finally, they place four hydrophilic amino acids across the mini toober. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At this point I pause the class and open a concord consortium interactive player<\/a> on my smartboard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I ask student to predict how the positive and negative amino acids will behave and how the hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids will behave. They can all get it. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Beautiful! Opposites attract! I love this! Thank you to whoever created this. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now it is the students chance to fold the protein into a shape where the positive and negative amino acids on the ends of their toober attract to one another and the hydrophobic amino acids fold in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This looks about right?!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At this point I grab one of the students folded protein and I substitute one positive amino acid for a negative amino acid. They can see that it will unravel their protein. Now I try to hit home the reason that a mutation in DNA can cause an impact in an organism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had a few Hemoglobin molecules printed off for my classroom. I found the STL files on Thingverse<\/a>. So, now the kids can see the shape of the protein is different. When only one amino acid is changed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It turns out that DNA causes a visible change in proteins. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today began with a video by John Perry’s series “Stated Clearly” titled “What is a gene?” Next, students wrote down the learning objective. A protein\u2019s shape determines its function, and the shape occurs due to the sequence of amino acids coded by DNA. I explained that a truck has a specific shape that helps it
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